Tennis star Serena Williams and Armenian-American tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian have an estimated combined net worth of $189 million, Business Insider says in an article, breaking down the timeline of how the two became one of the richest and most famous couples in America.
When he was just 22, Ohanian cofounded the social-media platform Reddit with his friend Steve Huffman. In 2006, they reportedly sold it for at least $10 million. In 2014, Ohanian rejoined the company as an executive chairman. Today, his creation is the third-most-visited website in the US, valued at $3 billion.
He's also branched out from Reddit, cofounding Initialized Capital, a venture capital firm that manages $500 million in assets. He's also worked with Breadpig and Hipmunk. Ohanian paid tribute to his heritage with the 2018 launch of Shakmat, an Armenian brandy. In 2018, his net worth totaled $9 million, while Serena's net worth is an estimated $180 million.
Her financial success comes as no surprise, the article says. With the most Grand Slam titles of any player, Williams dominates the sport. Throughout her career, she's won 72 titles, winning 796 matches and only losing 133. Tennis players make a lot of money when they win a tournament title. Just for reference, in 2018, US Open winners were awarded $3.8 million each. Serena's career prize money alone totals $88 million, which is $50 million more than any other professional women's tennis player. But she makes even more from sponsorship deals.
In 2004, she signed a five-year, $40 million endorsement deal with Nike, and she's since signed other deals for undisclosed amounts. Williams also has sponsorships with Gatorade, Beats by Dre, Aston Martin, Intel, Wilson, and more. Forbes estimates that she earns $18 million a year from her endorsements. And she's turned some of that money into other business opportunities. She and her sister Venus bought stakes in the Miami Dolphins and the UFC, and she even launched her own clothing line.
The duo is very philanthropic. Williams started the Serena Williams Fund to promote equity for all people. She's also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and has supported Colin Kaepernick's activism. Ohanian is outspoken about digital rights and was part of a group that donated $1.75 million to a nonprofit that teaches tech skills.
